I just stared at the documents before me. I didn’t know how to feel, but one thing for sure was that I was totally shattered.

I had been played like a fool. And for the first time, I regretted ever taking those bullets for him.

It was even more shocking how they played their roles perfectly that I didn’t suspect for a second that Wesley was plotting against me.

“Were they really that good? Or did I choose to ignore the signs?” I thought.

Maybe I should have suspected when he insisted on hiring Mia even though there were better options.

“How did you get that?” Wesley’s voice broke through my thoughts as I jolted. And for the first time, I heard anger in his voice. He briskly walked to me and picked up the documents.

I said nothing. I was only disappointed because I and Hazel’s plan could no longer work.

“Mia left you here last night? I’m so sorry babe, I was so tired from work yesterday that I didn’t notice,” he said in a calm voice as he kissed my forehead and started massaging my hands.

I was repulsed by his touch. Those same hands touched, fingered, squeezed, did every imaginable thing to Mia last night, and there he was, using it to massage me.

I pulled my hand away. He looked at me in surprise because he knew how much I loved his massage and his company.

“Did you go through the documents? They are for work,” he said, subtly trying to find out the reason for the change in my mood.

He looked obviously worried, and for good reason.

I just shook my head.

Looking at him standing before me, it was even harder to not confront him. The one person I could lay down my life for saw me as nothing more than an inconvenience that he had to kill to get away from. It hurt so bad.

I hated how pretentious he was!

“I’ll make breakfast for you so you can take your vitamins.

“I won’t let you give her that poison!” Hazel spat from across the room.

Wesley was shocked to see her there, and even more shocked to hear those words from her.

“When did you get here, Hazel? I didn’t know you were coming,” Wesley said, quickly changing the topic.

“Yes, Wesley. I’m here to fetch Alice and Aidan. Uncle Thierry requests their presence,” Hazel said, cooking up a lie immediately.

But Wesley was smarter than that.

“You really think I’m stupid, right?” Wesley said as his expression darkened.

“Babe, it’s very urgent, I just found out this morning too,” I said, trying to cover up.

Wesley knew I was lying. I hadn’t spoken a word to my dad since we got married, even when I was shot, he didn’t come to visit me in the hospital when he learned I was trying to protect Wesley.

“You can’t just come in here and ruin our plan, Hazel,” Mia said as she came in through the front door and locked it, clutching the keys in her hand.

Wesley’s lips curved in a smile as he sat down in front of me.

“I know you know, babe. Quite frankly, I don’t care. You shouldn’t have brought your cousin here, I’ll have to hurt her too,” Wesley said. Mia burst out laughing and Wesley joined in.

I swallowed hard as I realized what was at play here.

“You think we didn’t hear your useless wheelchair coming to the door yesterday? Tell her babe, tell her how we spiced it up, knowing she was at the door,” Mia said amidst giggles as she went and sat on his lap.

“Stop this nonsense at once! How dare you act so shamelessly after everything your wife has done for you?!” Hazel thundered. Even she couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Done for me? I did her a favor by marrying her. She had always been obsessed with me. As for the extra benefits, she chose to do that, I never forced her to,” Wesley said as he kissed Mia.

“This… this isn’t my wife, my real wife is right here,” he said as he kissed Mia’s neck. “Not this vegetable,” he said as he used one leg to push my wheelchair, causing me to fall.

I felt so ashamed and hurt that I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me. What could I possibly do? They had us locked up in the house. Our plan was destroyed.

I thought I was one step ahead, how did they outsmart me like this?

Tears flowed freely down my face as Hazel rushed to help me up.

“Now, let me tell you how this will go. No one is leaving here. You will sign this deed of transfer, then, we will kill you and your cousin, of course. Because Aidan is such a sweetheart, we will keep him.” Mia said in an excited tone.

“We will take good care of him, you don’t have to worry,” Wesley said with a smirk.

What kind of a cruel joke was that? I wanted to scream, to fight, but all I could do was watch as they reveled in my misery.

And now, I had endangered Hazel’s life.

“I can’t die.. not like this,” I said to myself as I made up my mind to do it. I would do anything to stop these monsters from winning!

My dad was right!

I had to push my sentiments aside and put myself, Aidan, and Hazel first.

He never trusted Wesley for a second, so, he made sure to take precautionary measures of entrusting my care to one of his men whom he bought a house for a little distance away from Wesley and ours.

All I had to do was dial the number. But how? Those hawks were watching me closely.

“Hey, you! You can have a sit. Enjoy your last moments alive.” Wesley said as he gestured for Hazel to sit down.

I was still on the floor, unable to get up on my own. It was.

As if to spite me more, Wesley grabbed Mia’s ass and kissed her passionately, both of them moaning shamelessly.

I winced in pain and shame as I tried to look away from them.

I used the opportunity to reach my phone to dial the number.

“No, Alice, you have to watch what it's like to be a woman and make a man feel good,” Wesly sneered as he walked toward me and carried me off the ground, steadying my wheelchair to face him and Mia as he continued kissing her and caressing her breasts.

“Can you just stop? Stop! You want to kill me, go ahead, you don't have to torture me like this!” I screamed at the top of my voice as I sobbed bitterly, but that only gave them more excitement.

“You’re an animal, Wesley! A bloody Animal!” Hazel snapped as she lunged at them, pulling Mia by the hair.

Before Hazel could start beating Mia up, Wesley hit her so hard across the face that she fell to the floor with a nosebleed.

“Hazel!” I cried out as I wheeled myself toward her. I could only pat her back to comfort her.

“I promise I will make you pay, at least have some decency. You owe everything you have and are today to me. I loved you, stood up for you, and this is how you repay me?!” I thundered with the last drop of tears in my eyes that I was willing to let them see.

“Oh, Alice, you give yourself way too much credit,” Mia said as she sat on Wesely’s lap.

“You desperate whore!” I hissed.

“Desperate? That doesn't define me, luv. Wesley is mine. He has always been mine. You came into the picture two years ago, hoping to win him over since you failed to throughout college. You thought cleaning him up and paying off his debts would make him love you?

“I am his wife! I was his wife before you! Now, you are the desperate one, you gave up your position for him, you're a fool, Alice, but a good fool, you know. You played right into our trap. And that heroic act of yours? It's commendable. Because of you, my darling is still alive. So why don't you just complete it, and sign the deed of transfer, you can tell your destiny was to give us a better life,” Mia said with a satisfied smile.

I didn't know what hurt more, the fact that Wesley chose Mia over me or the fact that I had been played all along.

“Enough of the talks, darling. I'll get the injection, they should be dead soon enough,” Wesley said as he stood up and walked inside.

‘Please, please, I need you now,’ I cried to myself as I dialed the number a second time. I just hoped it would work.

Soon, Wesley was back, with two syringes, one for me and the other for Hazel.

I just burst out crying. “I'm sorry, Hazel. I should not have dragged you into this,”

“Your fight is my fight, Alice. It's okay,” Hazel said as she gave me a warm smile.

Mia went and carried Aidan from his crib while he slept peacefully.

Mia collected a syringe from Wesley. My heart skipped, she was holding my baby!

“Sign the documents, or you'll watch your baby die!” Mia said.

“That is your son, Wesley! Are you out of your mind?!” I yelled at him, wondering why he would play such a dangerous game.

“I have my children, Alice, trust me. I don't exactly recognize Aidan as mine. He came out of your groins after all. You don't realize how much I hate you, do you?” Wesley said.

His words cut me deep. How could anyone be so cruel?

“I can't just give you all my year’s hard work. I already made you CEO! Please, I can't do it!” I begged amidst sobs.

“You really don't understand, do you?” Wesley said as he nodded to Mia.

Mia pressed the syringe on Aidan’s skin, almost piercing him. Aidan started crying.

“Please, please, I beg you, don't hurt him. Please,” I begged frantically.

“I will sign it! I will do anything, just spare my boy!”

“Alice, don't!” Hazel cut in.

Mia quickly brought the papers to me along with a pen.

“I can't let them hurt Aidan, I can't,”

Just as quickly, as I signed the papers, my dad had lied to me, there was nobody nearby, and there was nobody he sent to watch over me! This was the end of the road for me and Hazel.

“Now, that's it!” Wesley said as he grinned to himself.

“They’re here!” Mia said in an excited tone as she dropped Aidan on my thighs.

“I guess we will meet in the afterlife,” Wesley said as they both left.

Hazel and I were shocked. What was going on? They weren't going to kill us anymore?

Just then, two hefty men entered the living room, holding ropes. They were three times Hazel and I’s sizes put together.

They grabbed us and bound us in ropes and one of them started pouring alcohol all over the place.

With one matchstick, the whole place started burning!

“Please, save the child!” Hazel cried as she struggled to set herself free.